How to Convert TGA to ICO: Step-by-Step Tutorial

By Bill Crawford  ·  March 2026  ·  6 min read  ·  Last updated March 6, 2026

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What This Tutorial Covers

This tutorial walks you through converting TGA (Targa) image files to ICO format using the browser-based tool on this site. No software installation required. You will learn how to add files, understand the per-file status system, use batch ZIP download, and deploy your ICO as a favicon or Windows application icon.

For background on why you might want ICO and when to use it, see the companion TGA to ICO Complete Guide.

What You Need

• One or more .tga files (from Blender, Maya, Unreal Engine, Unity, Photoshop, or any TGA-compatible tool)
• A modern browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari (2023 or later)
• No account, no software, no subscription

Step 1: Open the Converter

Navigate to dataconversioncenter.com/image-tools/tga-to-ico/. The page loads the required JSZip library from CDN — no install needed. The TGA parser and ICO encoder are written in pure JavaScript and run entirely in your browser. No files are sent to any server at any point.

Step 2: Add Your TGA Files

You have two ways to add files:

• Drag and drop: Open your file manager and drag one or more .tga files directly onto the drop zone labeled "Drop TGA files here". The zone highlights in blue when you hover over it.
• Browse: Click anywhere on the drop zone (or the "Browse Files" link) to open your file picker. Select multiple files using Ctrl+click (Windows) or Cmd+click (Mac).

As soon as files are added, the tool's built-in TGA decoder reads the binary header and pixel data, then generates thumbnail previews for each file. You will see an Input Files grid with a card per file showing the filename, file size, and a Ready status badge.

Note: Files with an extension other than .tga are automatically rejected with an inline error message. They are not added to the conversion queue.

Step 3: Choose Download Mode

Before converting, decide how you want to download your ICO files:

• Individual downloads (default): Leave "Download as ZIP" unchecked. After conversion, each output card has its own Download button, and a "Download All ICOs" button appears for sequential bulk download.
• ZIP archive: Check "Download as ZIP". After conversion, a single "Download ZIP" button downloads all ICOs in one file named dataconversioncenter_tga_to_ico_YYYYMMDDHHMM.zip using your local date and time.

For batches of more than 5 files, the ZIP option is strongly recommended to avoid multiple browser download dialogs.

Step 4: Click "Convert to ICO"

Click the blue Convert to ICO button. The button label changes to "Converting…" and is disabled while conversion runs.

For each file in sequence:

1. The status badge on the input card changes from Ready to Converting…
2. The TGA parser reads the binary header and decodes the pixel data into a raw RGBA array, handling both uncompressed (types 2 and 3) and RLE-compressed (types 10 and 11) TGA files.
3. The pixel data is written to an HTML Canvas element at the full original resolution, correctly applying the TGA top-down origin flag.
4. The canvas is scaled to six sizes: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128, and 256 pixels square.
5. Each scaled canvas is encoded to PNG format, and all six PNG blobs are packed into a standards-compliant ICO binary structure in memory.
6. The status badge changes to Converted and a download button appears on the output card.

Step 5: Review Thumbnails and Status

After conversion completes, you will see two grids on the page:

• Input Files: Shows the original TGA file thumbnails with final status badges. Files that failed to convert show an Error badge with a description of the problem.
• Output Files: Shows converted ICO file cards with the ICO output thumbnail, output filename, and file size. Each card has a Download button.

A summary banner above the output grid reports the total count: how many files converted successfully and how many (if any) encountered errors.

Step 6: Download Your ICOs

Depending on your earlier selection:

• Individual: Click ⬇ Download ICO on each output card, or click Download All ICOs in the bulk bar at the bottom.
• ZIP: Click Download ZIP in the bulk bar. The ZIP is downloaded as a single file and the tool resets automatically after a short delay.

After all files are downloaded, click Start Over to clear the tool and start a new batch.

Step 7 (Optional): Deploy as a Favicon

If you converted a TGA logo or symbol for use as a favicon, follow these steps:

1. Rename the downloaded ICO file to favicon.ico.
2. Upload it to your web server's root directory (e.g. https://yoursite.com/favicon.ico).
3. Add the following to your HTML <head>:

   <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="48x48">
   <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
   <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/favicon-180.png">

4. Clear your browser cache and reload the page. The favicon should appear in the tab bar.

The multi-size ICO ensures browsers select the best frame for each context automatically — 16px for tabs, 32px for bookmark bars, 48px+ for Windows taskbar pins.

Troubleshooting

• File rejected as "not a valid TGA": Confirm the file has a .tga extension. Some files exported as TGA from older tools may have incorrect headers. Try re-exporting from the source application.
• Thumbnail shows but conversion errors: This can happen with unusual TGA subtypes (type 1 color-mapped TGA or type 9 RLE color-mapped). These types are rare; most game engines use type 2 or 10.
• ICO looks blurry at 16px: The source TGA has too much fine detail for 16px rendering. Simplify the image in your image editor — increase contrast, reduce detail, or use a simpler symbol — before re-converting.
• Alpha channel not preserved: Ensure the source TGA is 32-bit (RGBA), not 24-bit (RGB). Check the export settings in your 3D or game tool to enable the alpha channel.

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